During a meeting to gather public input on proposed fee increases, Joshua Tree National Park Superintendent David Smith gave the fee history of the Park.
An entrance fee was introduced in 1987, and camping fees in 2004. Both were increased, to $10 and $15 respectively in 2006. Smith estimated that a $5 increase in the entry fee could give the Park another $1 million in income. The Park can retain 80% of the fees it collects, but has to prove that it is using the funds to the direct benefit of specific operations. Failure to justify and spend that money in a given year could result in the retention percentage being reduced to 60% in a subsequent year.
Smith gave a long list of areas where funding shortfalls are affecting Joshua Tree National Park:
- The Pine City backcountry camping area in particular is “hammered” by campers, and cannot be monitored adequately.
- The number of schoolchildren served by educational programs has been cut from 22,000 to 10,000 annually.
- Destructive incursions by Off Highway Vehicles on the margins of the Park cannot be monitored adequately.
- There are not enough rangers to respond to climbing and traffic accidents in a timely manner.
- There is not enough crew to maintain trails.
- Pavement condition within the Black Rock campground is horrendous; full rehabilitation costs for that campground have been estimated at $10 million to $15 million.
- Rodent infestation problems are rife at the Cottonwood Visitor Center
- ½ of one full-time position services the needs of the 250,000 climbers who make up 1/6 of the Park’s visitors.
- The Park is unable to open up multiple entrance lanes at the busy West Entrance.
Superintendent David Smith will be a guest on Gary Daigneault’s Upclose public affairs call-in show on Friday November 14 at 10 am.
